KANSAS CITY, Mo., Jan. 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit yesterday affirmed a federal jury's verdict against former Hallmark group vice president Janet L. Murley. In its ruling, the Court denied Ms. Murley's motion for a new trial and revised the original jury award of $860,000 to $735,000.

During the 2011 trial, Ms. Murley admitted she had retained and disclosed Hallmark confidential information to a competitor after she left the company.

"We are pleased the court upheld the jury's verdict and denied Ms. Murley's motion for a new trial," said Donald J. Hall, Jr., Hallmark president and CEO. "Proprietary business information is an important corporate asset and we will take whatever steps are necessary to protect our intellectual property."